Pankaj Tripathi has a line-up of impressive movies to his credit. After having spent decades in the industry, the actor has seen its ups and downs and knows it in and out. In a recent chat, the senior actor spoke his mind about the industry stereotyping roles in Bollywood.
Pankaj Tripathi opens up about stereotypes in Bollywood
Known for projects like Gangs Of Wassepur, the Fukrey franchise, and the horror-comedy film Stree, among several others, Pankaj Tripathi has become a key part of the Indian film industry. During an interview with ANI, the actor shared that Bollywood stereotypes, especially based on looks. Backing his statement with an example, the actor said that if industrialist Mukesh Ambani was not a businessman and went for an audition, he would never be cast as a rich man since he doesn’t look the part.
The actor further divulged that cinema has created a stereotype that a doctor looks like this and an engineer looks a certain way. “During an audition, even if a junior artist is required, it is plainly stated: affluent look, elegant appearance. In movies, we see doctors like Katrina Kaif, but how many times have we seen them at AIIMS?” he quipped.
Having said that, the actor also accepted that things are definitely changing, unlike earlier. “Hero dheere se muskurate hai par villain zor se haste hai aesa humne movies mein dekha hai par hakikat mein khul ke hasne vaala dil ka acha hota hai (The hero laughs softly, but the villain chuckles aloud. We’ve seen this in movies, but in fact, the person who laughs openly is compassionate),” he stated.
Pankaj Tripathi talks about his upcoming movie Main Atal Hoon
The actor will soon be seen essaying the role of former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Main Atal Hoon. When asked if he’s confident about playing the role, he said, “Mujhe samajh nahi aata (I don’t understand this).” The actor added that initially, he shoots arrows in the air, hoping that something would click. However, he was sure he did not want to imitate or mimic him. “We worked around a performance that could help us bring up his real self. I wanted to be honest about playing him on screen,” Tripathi divulged.
During his chat with India Today, the OMG 2 actor spoke about his journey in the industry and said that he would like it to be honest and organic. “I have always believed in having an honest and organic journey. I have played all the parts with sincerity and respect. Whatever I have achieved in life has been beyond my imagination. I came to Mumbai for survival as I wanted to earn for my family. If Hindi theatre had better financial returns, I would have never been here,” the actor was quoted as saying.
Pankaj Tripathi’s work front
Pankaj Tripathi has become a well-known actor. But his journey wasn’t a cakewalk. After having his fair share of struggle and doing minor and supportive roles in several movies, he was acknowledged after his portrayal of Sultan Qureshi in the two-part gangster movie Gangs of Wasseypur. From there, his journey to the top began, and he was seen in films like Dabangg 2, Gunday, Singham Returns, Mango Dreams, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, and others. After Ravi Jadhav’s Main Atal Hoon, he will be seen in Metro In Dino and Stree 2.
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